Storage and Mixing Container for Fine-Grain Substances and Snack Foods

ABSTRACT

A storage container and mixing aid device combined into one utensil having two threaded openings opposite one another onto which screw on lids can be placed. This device serves as a storage container for fine-grain substances, powders, or small snack foods and candies. It also provides a mechanism for channeling fine-grain substances into bottles or other containers without spilling or wasting and allows consumers to control the portion of snack that they consume and/or dispense.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 61/493,593, filed Jun. 6, 2011, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of utensils and containers. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of storage utensils and containers. The present invention is also in the field of mixing utensils.

Conventional storage containers only hold and store substances. In order to mix or pour the stored substance with or into another substance an additional utensil must be used. Without using an additional utensil to mix the stored substance, the stored substance is often spilled and wasted. Furthermore, these storage containers are often too large to conveniently transport. Also, it is not an uncommon experience to realize that the storage container is either too large or small to hold a single serving size of a substance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description.

The present invention is a storage container and mixing aid device combined into one utensil. It serves as a storage container for fine-grain substances or small snack foods or candies. It also provides a mechanism for channeling fine-grain substances into bottles or other containers without spilling or wasting and allows consumers to control the portion of snacks that they consume and/or dispense.

The container has two openings, with the first opening being sufficiently wider than the second opening allowing for the stored substance to easily flow out of the second opening. Each opening is threaded so that caps can be securely attached or screwed on.

The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, that any substance, especially fine-grain substances, that require being mixed with another substance of solid or liquid composition, can be stored in the present invention and also easily poured from the present invention into another container or bottle in which mixing will occur. A third utensil is not necessary to channel the stored substance into another container.

The present invention is small enough so that it can be easily transported in a purse, athletic bag, luggage, diaper bag, and the like.

The present invention is reusable and therefore eliminates the wasting of natural resources that result from the usage of single serving packages that are not reusable.

The present inventions has a bottle-shaped design that allows for increased capacity over similar containers with standard angle cone-shaped designs. This also allows for the present invention to set upon a bottle or other container's opening without being held.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage and mixing container of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a storage and mixing container of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a storage and mixing container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a storage and mixing container of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 there is shown a storage and mixing utensil 10 having a wide top opening 12 at the top of the device and a narrow bottom opening 14 at the bottom of the device. There is also a top lid 16 to be placed on the top opening 12 and a bottom lid 18 to be placed on the bottom opening 14.

In further detail, still referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the storage and mixing utensil 10 is the appropriate size for easy portability, such as about 2 inches to 10 inches in length. The top opening 12 is sufficiently wide enough to easily place any fine-grain substance inside without spilling or wasting the substance, such as about 1 inch to 5 inches in diameter. The bottom opening 14 is sufficiently narrower than the top opening 12 to allow the fine-grain substance to be channeled into bottles or other containers without spilling or wasting the substance, such as about ¼ inch to 2 inches in diameter. The top lid 16 fits securely and tightly onto the top opening 12, and is therefore similar in size, such as a diameter of about 1 inch to 5 inches. The bottom lid 18 fits securely and tightly onto the bottom opening 14, and is therefore similar in size, such as a diameter of about ¼ inch to 2 inches.

The construction details of the invention as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 are that the storage and mixing utensil 10 may be made of plastic or any other smooth, durable material such as metal, aluminum, and the like. Further, the top lid 16 and bottom lid 18 can be made of plastic or any other smooth, durable material such as metal, aluminum, and the like.

Referring now to the invention shown in FIG. 4 there is shown a storage and mixing utensil 20 having a top lid 22 secured to the top and a bottom lid 24 secured to the bottom, which ensures that the substance inside the storage and mixing utensil 20 do not spill out.

The construction details of the invention as shown in FIG. 4 are that the storage and mixing utensil 20 may be made of plastic or any other smooth, durable material such as metal, aluminum, and the like. Further, the top lid 22 and the bottom lid 24 can be made of plastic or any other smooth, durable material such as metal, aluminum, and the like.

Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the above detailed description, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A container, comprising: a bottle-shaped design, with two openings opposite one another, with the top opening being wider than the bottom opening and each opening containing screw on caps to allow for storage of fine-grained substances or snack foods which upon removal of the smaller opening's cap can be used to easily channel through without spilling the stored substance.
 2. The container in claim 1, wherein the material used to construct the storage container and screw on caps can be made of plastic or any other smooth, durable material such as metal, aluminum, and the like.
 3. The container in claim 1, wherein the size of the storage container is 2 inches to 10 inches in length and can hold a capacity of 1 ounce to 64 ounces.
 4. The container in claim 1, wherein the top opening is 1 inch to 5 inches in diameter and bottom opening is ¼ inch to 2 inches in diameter; and each opening is threaded to enable the use of a threaded cap with each opening.
 5. The container claim 4, wherein there is a screw on cap for the top opening measuring 1 inch to 5 inches in diameter and a screw on cap for the bottom opening measuring ¼ inch to 2 inches in diameter.
 6. The container in claim 5, wherein the construction design and bottle shape allow for the top lid to be removed with the bottom lid still secured, and filled with a fine-grain substance, powder, or snack food which can be stored for an extended period of time.
 7. The container in claim 5, wherein the container's bottom lid can be detached and the stored substance can be easily channeled into another substance, such as liquid, for easy mixing without spilling; or the snack food can be dispensed in small servings.
 8. The container in claim 5, wherein the bottom opening can be attached and the top opening detached so that snack food may be removed in larger portions.
 9. The container in claim 5, wherein both the bottom and top lids are attached the stored substance is kept dry if the container is exposed to water and free of contaminants.
 10. The container in claim 1, wherein both the top and bottom lids can be detached and the bottom opening is placed over or on top of another bottle's opening while a substance is channeled into the bottle by being poured into the top opening.
 11. The container in claim 1, wherein the size and weight of the design of the storage container allow for easy portability.
 12. The container in claim 1, wherein the bottle-shaped design is an improvement in that it allows for increased capacity over similar containers with standard angle cone-shaped designs and allows for the container to set upon a bottle or other container's opening without being held by the user. 